Entries in Surfing
(7)

It looks like an ice-scraper, but the people using this are not anywhere near weather that could glaze windsheilds. No, this is the surfboard Power Scraper from the folks at Tools Surf Products, (TLS).

The Power Scraper is the most durable wax scraper available. With a padded ergonomic handle, which ensures maximum grip, you won't be frustrated while that set comes in...you'll be scraping wax like a demon. The bevelled, three-dimensional blade edges enable smooth, fast removal and quick entry into the water.

Maybe more interesting is the origin of TLS as a company. TLS creator, Satoshi Sekino, of Sekino Racing Sports, a former pro surfer himself and respected entrepreneur. He is also renowned for building a crazy wave pool in Japan. Satoshi oversees all product development and design with his team riders which has resulted in premium quality. functional surf hardware.

There are lots more products to check out at TLS. But don't spend too much time online or getting rid of that dirty wax -- surf's up!

Here's a can't-miss, no-brainer of a product we're proud to bring you. It's the Action Audio waterproof action sport audio system. If you surf, paddle board, jet ski, swim or just about anything else in the water, you can do it to a soundtrack of your choosing from now on.

The action audio system includes a stylish, comfortable and functional rash guard that contains a secret compartment for an IPX8 waterproof Action Audio player with 4GB of memory. The rash guard is 80% Nylon, 20% Elastane, It's cut long on the bottom to keep from riding up over stomach and has a loose fit for plenty of range-of-motion. The audio player slides into a slot in the collar and the headphones thread through the collar and out the front for easy access. Because of the snug fit, there is no way your device ever gets lost, not matter how hard you get tossed. The front of the shirt also offers a smart, velcro fastener to keep the headphones in place when not in use.

Threading the headphones into the collar was no problem, and we aren't even good at lacing our own shoes. Getting the hang of the three buttons on the audio player when inserted into the small pouch took a minute, but there were no issue after that.

What else can we say? The rash guard feels good and the positioning of the audio player is convenient, the headphones are comfortable and the sound is terrific. It is easy to load songs onto the device and it holds enough to form a playlist for any session you have in mind. And with all this going for it, it's much more affordable than most waterproof MP3 players on the market that simply clip onto a shirt and can easily get jettisoned with a hard crash into the surf.

So if you plan to go into the water tomorrow, don't go in silence. Load your best tracks, slip on your stealthy, secret shirt and make everyone else wonder what you're listening to. We just recommend at least one Beach Boys tune.

My son went off to college yesterday. After loading in his baseball gear, he grabbed his two surf boards, his wetsuit, and his new favorite products, Suit Juice and Suit Fresh, by North Shore Products (www.wetsuitessentials.com). North Shore sent us a sampling of their full product line to try. He’s usually pretty resistant to trying new things – he thinks he’s got everything figured out – so for me to hear that he liked and uses the stuff was all the endorsement I needed to hear.

What does Suit Juice do? It is a wet suit and dry suit lubricant, which makes it easier to get in and out. It also extends the life of expensive suits by neutralizing and eliminating uric acids and oils naturally caused by the human body. These acids will destroy latex and increase fading to neoprene.

Suit Fresh is the only product to clean, deodorize and condition wetsuits and dry suits. It removes your suit of oil, salt, odors, sunscreen and anything else the water or your body might leave behind. Properly cleaning the suit with Suit Fresh and conditioning it with Suit Juice extends its life, while keeping it fresh.

After surfing all summer with a ripped old half-suit that let in the 60 degree ocean, we bought my son a new full suit that he just loves for his birthday. Judging by the way I see him taking care of his prized possession, it seems that maybe doing without for so long has made him better appreciate what he has now.

When not playing baseball, basketball or football, my oldest son’s favorite activity is surfing. Now that he can drive, anytime he has a free morning he’ll set his alarm for 6:30 and head down to the beach. I love that he’s got something he can do that doesn’t involve coaches or competition; something wholesome and athletic that he does for pure enjoyment. And if you’ve ever seen the bodies on surfers you know that it’s a tremendous workout as well.

If your perception of San Diego is balmy weather, blue skies and warm water, you’re right – in the summer. But on a January morning at dawn, it’s pretty darn cold. Sure, there won’t be snow or ice on the ground, but when it’s 45 degrees outside and the water temperature is in the low sixties or even high fifties, you’ve got to have some serious desire to get into the ocean. Or the right equipment. That’s why he was so excited to get some surf booties from O’Neill (www.oneill.com) to go with his wet suit.

The Freak Sneak boot is designed to provide maximum comfort, protection from the cold, and, most importantly, solid grip on the board. I know my son, and he’s very particular about “feel.” For the longest time, he wouldn’t wear batting gloves because he didn’t feel the bat as well. I was concerned that he might get up on his board and feel like he lost a ride because of the boots. But the folks at O’Neil are particular about feel too. Their firewall insulating-fiber jersey wicks away moisture and increases warmth. It turns out, not only do the boots seem as close to bare feet as possible, with a deep split toe to improve balance, but now, since he can actually feel his feet, he has a better plant when he catches that perfect wave.

O’Neil makes a full line of accessories designed to get them into the water and help them stay warm once they’re there. The Freak Sneak boots might encourage my son to paddle out a little more often over the coming winter months. And if that means he chooses a morning of surfing over sleeping in or playing Madden for two hours – that’s a good thing.

Gnarly, dude. Trying to act like I know surf lingo is the surest way to make my kids roll their eyes. Even though I’ve lived half my life in Southern California, I’m not exactly part of the surfing and snowboarding scene. But I do know that athletes in any sport can benefit from a strong sense of balance. Using a balance board has been proven to not only enhance an athlete’s stability, but also increase strength and flexibility in knees and ankles, helping stave off injuries. Maybe the coolest boards are made by the folks at HoloHolo (www.holoholo.tv). I’ve had one sitting in the house for a couple weeks and it is fun watching all my kids walk by it on their way somewhere, stop, hop on and fall off a couple of times.

Step on, like riding a skateboard, and the board will have a slight roll and lots of tilt to challenge your balance. Once you are comfortable with the board touching the ground on both sides you can try to stay balanced in the small amount of travel or roll that is allowed by the Pipe-Lock and stops. There is a fine line you can feel when you are centered over the pipe roller and maintaining control. That same senstion is common to most board sports.

Are you a “twin-planker” like me? You can practice your skiing technique by placing your feet on the board inline with the pipe and board lengthwise. From the hips down it really does feel like you’re heading down the slopes. Bend your knees for more challenge.

But if you really want to know who the HoloHolo is aimed at, check out this pitch from the website: Your pint size kids will ride it and then shred the mountains, lakes, surf and sidewalk like never before. This is not just for the little groms, regular size humans love it for all the same reasons they love all of the Holoholo Boards. Like I said, “Gnarly.”